break back
C1 formal separable transitive
In simple words
to push something back or stop it growing
Literal meaning: Literally, it suggests breaking something so it goes back or is forced back.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
formal
to force something back or stop its advance
"Fire crews worked to break back the flames before nightfall."
Grammar: separable
2 C1 formal
to cut or reduce growth by forcing it backward or down
"They broke back the hedge to clear the old path."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Very rare and not a common modern phrasal verb. It may appear in technical, historical, or dialectal writing.
Commonly used with
growth hedges the attack flames enemy advance
Forms
Base
break back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
breaks back
he/she/it
Past simple
broke back
yesterday
Past participle
broken back
have + pp
-ing form
breaking back
continuous
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Synonyms
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